Practice-ball.



No. 667,563. Pat-shied m. 5, I90l.

F. OAKLEY. PRACTICE BALL.

(Application filed Jan. 15, 19oo.j

(No Model.)

W/TNESSES: INVENTOR s cc. Pnorouma, wAsnINBToN Nrrnn Sra'rns ATENTOFFICE.

FRANCIS OAKLEY, OF NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND.

PRACTICE-BALL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 667,563, datedFebruary 5,

Application filed January 15, 1900. Serial No. 1,465. (No model.)

To aZZ 1072071 1 it may concern.-

Be' it known that I, FRANCIS OAKLEY, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Newport, in the county of Newport and State of RhodeIsland, have invented a new and Improved Practice-Ball, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a ball designed especially for giving practiceto base-ball players; and it therefore comprises apeculiarly-constructed ball externally similar to the ordinary base-balland provided wit-h an elastic cord which may be attached to the wrist ofthe user, so that the ball when thrown will be returned toward theperson throwing it, who may thereby practice catching and otherwisemanipulating the ball.

This specification is the disclosure of one form of the invention, whilethe claims define the actual scope thereof.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both the views.

Figure l is a perspective View of the inven-.

tion; and Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the ball, showing the manner ofattaching the cord.

The ball a may, if desired, be constructed as the usual base-ball,excepting that it is formed with a centrally-disposed tapering passageZ) extending through the same from side to side and fitted with atapering sleeve or ferrule 0, preferably of metal, the ferrule or sleevebeing firmly secured in place. In the larger end of the sleeve 0 issecured a stopper (Z, preferably of cork, which is provided at its outerend with a metallic cap e, and to this cap is fastened a rod f, the rodextending inwardly through the cork and being formed with an eye f, towhich is connected an elastic cord g, which extends through the sleeveor ferrule 0 out of the small end thereof. This cord g is preferablyformed of elastic strands, with a covering of cloth fabric braidedsuitably to permit expansion and contraction of the cord, as will beunderstood. The cord 9 may be of any desired length, according to thesize of the ball and the use to which it is to be put. I have found itpracticable to construct the cord with a length of six or eight feetwhen contracted, thus enabling the ball to be thrown from twenty tothirty feet. The outer end of the cord g is secured to a ring h, in turnsecured to a strip 2', which may be fastened, preferably, to the wristof the person using the device.

From the foregoing description it will be evident that the ball may beused advantageously as explained, especially afiording the best practiceto base-ball players. The peculiar means of attaching the elastic cordto the ball enable me to avoid breaking the spherical form of the ballby attaching fastening devices to the surface thereof, which, it isobvious, would greatly interfere with catching and otherwise handlingthe ball.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. The combination of a ball having a passagetherein, a stopper secured in one end of the passage, and a cord passedthrough the passage and having one run connected with the stopper.

2. The combination of a ball having a tapering passage thereinyayielding stopper driven into the tapered passage, and a cord attached tothe stopper. v

3. The combination of a ball, having a tapered passage extending throughthe same, a tapered sleeve or ferrule secured in the passage, a stoppersecured in the large end of the sleeve or ferrule, and a cord extendedthrough the small end of the sleeve and connected with the stopper.

a. The combination of a ball having a tapering passage therein, astopper secured in the large end of the passage, and a cord passed intothe small end of the passage and connected with the stopper.

5. The combination of a ball having a passage therein, a sleeve fittedin the passage, a stopper secured in the sleeve, a cap attached to theouter end of the stopper, a rod connected with the cap and extendedthrough the stopper, and a cord passed into the opposite end of thepassage and connected with the rod.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANCIS OAKLEY.

Witnesses:

ANDREW HOWARD SUTHERLAND, MICHAEL JOSEPH DURNAN.

